Nick,
Here is a good start on cracking the VIN!
WMWRE33452TD50055
1st character - W - Identifies the country in which the vehicle was manufactured - Germany(W)
2nd character - M - Identifies the manufacturer - Mercury (!!!) sorry - that's what it says !! Must mean MINI !!
3rd character - W - Identifies vehicle type or manufacturing division
4th to 8th characters - RE334 - Identifies vehicle features such as body style, engine type, model, series, etc.
9th character - 5 - Identifies VIN accuracy as check digit
10th character - 2 - Identifies the model year - 2002(2)
11th character - T - Identifies the assembly plant for the vehicle
12th to 17th characters - D50055 - Identifies the sequence of the vehicle for production as it rolled off the manufacturer's assembly line.